Mark of a Rebel
by EsmeAmelia
Summary: COMPLETE. How did Han get the scar on his chin? An AU where he gets it AFTER meeting Leia.
1. Chapter 1

"Mark of a Rebel"

By EsmeAmelia

AN: As I'm always required to say, I don't own Star Wars. There. Anyhoo, this is yet another challenge fic. This challenge was to write a story about how Han got the scar on his chin - and it had to be an AU where Han got the scar _after_ he met Leia. Let's see how this turns out.

Chapter 1

He tried to ignore it.

As he looked in the Falcon's refresher mirror, Han was trying hard to ignore the new line that adorned his face, but it seemed like that line had become the focal point. It pulled his eyes to look at it like it was a Jedi casting a mind trick (although he still didn't know if he believed in the whole mind-trick thing).

He wanted so much to pretend that ugly thing wasn't there, which he thought should be easy. After all, it wasn't _obvious_, was it? The only reason it seemed to be underlining his mouth was because he was staring at it - if he didn't already _know_ it was there, he wouldn't notice it...right?

It was really ugly. The longer he stared at it, the uglier it seemed. Ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly. That word seemed to pound in his head like the pain from a hangover. Who was he trying to kid? The thing stuck out, calling attention to itself above all other parts of his face.

Han's fists pounded the wall next to the mirror, as if that would erase his new scar. Why did he have that stupid idea to go to Bespin? If it weren't for Bespin, none of this would have happened. Well okay, Lando did lead the attack on the second Death Star, but they could have found someone else to do that. Maybe. All right, so Lando ended up helping them, that didn't change the fact that if it weren't for him, Han wouldn't have this new marking that stained his otherwise good-looking face.

He rubbed it with his finger, as if he thought that someone had just drawn a line under his mouth and rubbing it would make it come off. No such luck. It would take more than a finger to remove that thing.

_Much_ more than a finger.

He _could_ get rid of it if he really wanted to. If he was desperate enough, he could have the cosmetic surgery that would restore his chin back to normal. Of course, that would require being desperate enough to pour hundreds of credits into having the surgery...not to mention being desperate enough to willingly confine himself to a hospital for a few long weeks. Was he willing to go through all that for the sake of removing this hideous strand of torn skin?

He wasn't sure if he was, but if he didn't have the surgery, it would affect how everyone perceived him for the rest of his life. It would be the first thing anyone noticed upon meeting him and the first thing anyone asked him about. _Everyone_ would want to know how he ended up with it. He saw himself getting sick of hearing the words, "How did you get that scar?" after only a few days.

And how would he ever answer that question, anyway?


	2. Chapter 2

"Mark of a Rebel"

By EsmeAmelia

AN: As I'm sure you'll be able to tell, I didn't write the dialogue in this chapter - it's taken from ROTJ, but hopefully the exploration into Han's head will give this chapter a purpose for its existence. Sorry the chapters are so short, I'm hoping to get this muli-chapter fic done in a short period.

Chapter 2

He was waking up, ever-so-slowly, awareness entering his head the tiniest bit at a time. First all his mind could comprehend was that he was standing and then falling, seemingly through endless air. Then there was cold. Not regular cold...horrible, skin-biting cold...the kind of cold that overtakes the mind, only granting it the ability to think of getting rid of it. For these few slow milliseconds, there was no memory, no identity, only these animal sensations.

But the hardness of a floor running into his body started bringing back his mind from hibernation. Han Solo...yes, that was his name...and with that name came thousands of memories bombarding onto his head at once. It was as if his entire life was trying to strangle him, sightlessly behind his eyelids and silently in his ears as he lay still on whatever floor he was on.

Touch came next. He felt a pair of arms wrapping around his body and lifting it to a sitting position, which gave his body very unwelcome capability of involuntary motion. Awareness of the cold suddenly returned, and with it came his body breaking down in shivers. With every breath, his lungs burst with pain, breaking his inhales into gasps. Although his eyes were closed, he felt his head swirling around, dizziness wanting to pull him into soundless, mindless darkness. His mind vaguely comprehended the arms trying to hold him steady, but the shaking of his body and the spinning of his mind overtook any further thought about them. Arms were holding him, that was all - the idea of trying to figure out the identity of the body attached to them didn't enter Han's consciousness.

"Just relax for a moment," a scratchy, growly voice said, abruptly making Han aware of external sound. "You are free from the carbonite."

_Carbonite_...the word harnessed his mind, bringing complete realization of what happened. He had been frozen in carbonite...and now he was out...how long was he frozen? The last moment he remembered - staring up at Leia as he sank lower and lower - drummed in his head. Leia...where was she now? Had she managed to escape from Darth Vader? Or was she...

He suddenly realized that his eyes were open...or at least it felt like his eyes were open...he felt himself blinking...but he still saw only blackness.

"Shhh," the mysterious voice said. "You have hibernation sickness."

As the voice spoke, Han's hand realized that it was able to move, brushing his eyes and standing in front of his face. Still nothing but blackness.

"I can't see..." Han choked out, making his throat burn.

"Your eyesight will return in time," the voice said in a soothing tone.

"Wh-where am I?" Han asked, vaguely wondering if this voice belonged to someone who had kidnapped him.

"In Jabba's palace," the voice responded.

Jabba's palace. Han's stomach lurched. His frozen form had indeed been taken to the palace of his worst enemy, just as Vader had ordered. Maybe they had defrosted him just so they could have some fun torturing him.

He shook harder as his hand reached up to the area where the voice seemed to be coming from, suddenly wanting to find out who this person holding him was. When his fingers met with cold metal, he gulped hard, though it once more hurt his throat to do so. This person was wearing a mask...most likely a bounty hunter. How could he escape a bounty hunter when he didn't even think he could stand up?

"Wh-who are you?" he stuttered, unsure why he was asking this. Had the kind tone of the voice lured him into a false sense of security or something?

The metal brushed away from his fingers, followed by the voice changing to that of a woman's - a voice he knew very, very well.

"Someone who loves you," the voice said.

"Leia..." Han gasped. A second later, he felt Leia's warm lips pressing against his. Han sucked on the kiss like a newborn sucking his mother's nipple. Leia was here...alive...rescuing him. Despite the cold, dizziness, blindness, and nausea, he wanted this moment to just linger on.

Leia pulled out of the kiss, much to Han's dismay. "I gotta get you out of here."

It seemed for the briefest of moments that the worst was behind them, until a familiar laugh echoed around them.

"_Ho-ho-ho-ha-ha-ha."_


	3. Chapter 3

"Mark of a Rebel"

By EsmeAmelia

AN: Thanks to Lelia Solo for reviewing! She's the only one that's reviewed so far...maybe that will change? Anyway, a lot of this chapter is from ROTJ too, but there's some new stuff. One of the requrements of the challenge was that another woman who had been romantically involved with Han in the past had to be there when he gets the scar, so that's what I'm building towards.

Chapter 3

Whoever was dragging Han away abruptly shoved him out of his (or possibly her?) arms, setting off his reflexes to run across what turned out to be a very wet floor. The water ran up his boots and into his pants, adding external chill to the internal coldness he already felt. Once his consciousness realized that he _could_ indeed stand up by himself, though it tripled the dizziness in his head to do so, he reached around him, feeling for any clues as to where he was. His hands ran into hard stone above and behind him, most likely Jabba's dungeon. He shivered again, wrapping his arms around himself, which did little to help the cold. Surely if his eyes worked, he would see his breath coming out in thick clouds, regardless of whether or not he had just been frozen.

Suddenly a growl entered his world of blackness, sounding at first like it could be that of a wild animal whose mission was to do away with Han in a messy, painful way, but after a second he recognized the voice giving the growl.

"Ch-Chewie?" he asked hesitantly.

Han? the voice growled, confirming that it was indeed Chewie.

"Chewie, is that you?" Han asked, after which the Wookiee roared his name several times.

Out of reflex, Han stuck up his arms in the direction Chewie's joyous voice was coming from, unsure if it was to embrace his friend or to protect his lungs from the hug that was sure to come.

Cub, you're all right! Chewie shouted as Han felt the Wookiee's big arms grabbing him in a large hug, bringing much-needed warmth to his skin, his fur tickling Han's face.

"Ch-Chewie...I can't see, pal," Han sputtered as he felt Chewie's hands inflicting a rather uncomfortable amount of pressure on his already-aching chest. "Be careful."

I know, cub, said Chewie, after which Han felt his grip slightly relax.

"What's goin' on, pal?" Han asked, feeling waves of guilt, since Chewie had no doubt gotten captured trying to rescue him.

It's all right, Han, said Chewie. Luke's still out there - he'll come to rescue us.

Somehow that didn't make Han feel much better. "Luke? Luke's crazy. Can't even take care of himself, much less rescue anyone." Where _had_ Luke been all that time anyway? Did he want to know?

A lot has changed since you were frozen, cub, said Chewie. He's been training to be a Jedi Knight now.

"A JEDI KNIGHT???" Han exclaimed. He was actually going the way of that crazy Ben Kenobi?? "I'm out of it for a little while and everyone gets delusions of grandeur!" As the words "a little while" escaped his mouth, he realized again that he still didn't know how long he'd been frozen, but he concluded that he didn't really want to know right now.

And guess who else is with him? Chewie continued.

"I don't think I want to, Chewie," Han said, his mind going back to Leia. He could only imagine what Jabba was doing to her now. Hopefully she was just in her own cell, but knowing how Jabba enjoyed women, he was probably wrong about that. His stomach lurched even more at the thought of _that._

Zora's with him! Chewie exclaimed.

Han thought at first that he must have heard the Wookiee wrong. "Hold on Chewie," he said carefully, "you mean the Alliance spy, Zora Drell - _that_ Zora?"

Yup, Chewie growled happily.

A sigh coming out of Han's mouth was interrupted by the pain in his chest as he remembered Zora Drell, the young, eager Rebel whom he had met soon after the Death Star's destruction...and been with for two weeks. Two weeks - not a very long affair by any standard - but it seemed to Zora that two weeks meant he wanted her for a lifetime. It was probably her first time, something Han wasn't exactly proud of. After she caught on that Han didn't want a serious relationship with her, she asked Leia if she could be stationed somewhere off base - and Leia was _very_ quick to send her elsewhere as a spy (to eliminate competition for Han, perhaps?). Even then Han wondered if Leia was the reason why he didn't want a serious relationship with Zora.

Han hadn't seen her since then...he had thought that she would've forgotten him by now, or at least found someone else. What was she doing on a rescue mission for a guy she had only been with for two weeks? Was she really _that _desperate that she would leave her Rebellion duties for him? And what would she say when he told her about Leia?

He might have thought of that long enough to drive himself crazy if fatigue hadn't caught up with him. His head began lolling, his body leaning back into Chewie's soft chest like it was a pillow, his eyes closing even though they were currently useless.

Let me warm you up, cub, Chewie said gently as Han felt his big arms wrapping around his chest and stroking his head.

Han grasped Chewie's arm, not really knowing if that meant he was pulling it closer or shoving it away, but his energy waned after grabbing it, so it turned out not to matter.

"I'm all right, pal," he said in a dazed manner as he patted Chewie's arm, though he felt anything but all right. "I'm all right." He tried to concentrate on the softness under his fingers, unsuccessfully attempting to distract himself from his spinning head, cold skin, and upset stomach.

The Wookiee's grip tightened on his blind friend. You get some rest, Han.

Han found that he didn't have the strength to answer - the only thing that could come out of his mouth was small pants. Though he was standing up and freezing cold, he felt himself beginning to fall out of awareness. He nestled his head further into Chewie's fur, his physical being wanting nothing more than sleep, though he was sure there was no good place to sleep in this cell. However, his body quickly decided that that didn't matter - it leaned into Chewie's large form, silently declaring it a makeshift upright bed, letting his center of consciousness sink down into the Wookiee's chest.

Go to sleep, cub, Chewie growled softly, dissipating any concern Han might have had that he was imposing on his friend, completely freeing him to fall asleep in his arms. A second before sleep completely overtook him, Han felt Chewie lifting his feet off the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

"Mark of a Rebel"

By EsmeAmelia

AN: Thanks to the reviewers!

Chapter 4

Han woke up again to blackness, but this time he felt considerably warmer. He felt himself sitting on something that, while soft, also contained the stiffness of bones beneath it; his head rested on what felt like a large, fluffy blanket. It wasn't until he felt his "pillow" gently rising and falling beneath his head that he remembered where he was, which returned the twist to his stomach.

Jabba's dungeon...he had been sleeping in Chewie's lap for an undetermined amount of time. He inhaled loudly to assure himself that he was still alive, though he wasn't sure how long that would still be true for him.

Feeling better, cub? Chewie growled softly.

"A little..." muttered Han, after which he felt the copilot's large paw stroking his face. "So Chewie...any idea what Jabba's gonna do with us?"

Don't worry about that, Han, Chewie responded.

"Yeah, well it'd be nice to know what kinda torture we're up against if we're gonna think of escapin'."

I told you - Luke's going to rescue us.

"Whatever," Han sighed. "Look, forgive me if I'm less than optimistic, but you ain't the one who's sick to your stomach, head, and all other body parts and you ain't the one who can't see."

I understand, cub, said Chewie, but Luke and Zora are coming.

Han flinched. "Do me a favor and don't mention Zora, will ya?"

She knows about you and Leia, cub - don't worry about it.

That latest bit of information didn't make Han feel any better - if anything, it made him feel worse. Zora already knew that during her absence Han had been claimed by someone else - and it was too late for Han to explain himself away. He suddenly hoped that he would still be blind when he met up with her again so he wouldn't have to see the look on her face.

Then he reminded himself that he'd be lucky if he lived long enough to meet with her again.

Chewie began stroking his head once again. Go back to sleep, Han.

"That ain't so easy when we're bein' held in a cold, damp dungeon awaitin' our deaths - or possibly something worse," muttered Han, although his eyes began closing again.

We'll be all right, cub.

"I'm a bit sick of you sayin' that," grumbled Han, digging his still-dizzy head further into Chewie's fur as his mind once more wandered to Leia. Perhaps he should consider himself lucky that he was only in a dungeon instead of in her place...but he couldn't do so. Not because it was hard to consider himself lucky when he was blind and trapped in Jabba's dungeon, but because he couldn't remove his mind from what Leia might be suffering. Jabba's male prisoners were usually executed swiftly, but his female prisoners suffered great humiliation and possibly horrible pain for an indefinite amount of time. His dry throat swallowed several times, though it burned to do so. Whatever she was suffering now, he was the reason for it. No matter how he looked at the recent events (or were they really recent?), he saw himself as the one responsible for them. It was his idea to go to Bespin - _his_ idea. If by some miracle they did manage to get out of this alive, she would never forgive him.

No...an internal voice suddenly told him...she would. Whatever she was going through, she was going through it willingly. For her, it was only an obstacle she would have to overcome on her quest to rescue him. She was enduring her turmoil _for him._

The real question was if _he_ ever forgive _himself_ for forcing her through this.

Despite the conditions, Han soon forgot to worry about any of this and once more felt himself sinking into unawareness, but his trail to sleep was blocked by the sound of footsteps splashing in the wet floor. Almost before he had comprehended that sound, a pair of rough hands grabbed his shoulders and yanked him to his feet, which made the lightheadedness return. The sound of Chewie roaring ferociously told Han that he had been taken as well. He felt his wrists being forced into cold binders behind his back, followed by hands grabbing his upper arms. He couldn't tell if he was being dragged away by one person or two - he only knew that he was likely being taken to his doom.


	5. Chapter 5

"Mark of a Rebel"

By EsmeAmelia

AN: Thanks to the reviewers! Sorry I'm so slow updating this story - my big story "My Mother" is taking lots of my writing time.

Chapter 5

Without his sight, Han was extra-aware of the barge's annoying vibrations under his feet and the pull of his tied hands behind his back. Luke was next to him - he was pretty sure of that - and Leia was...somewhere. Alive, at least, though probably far from all right

Possibly Zora was here too - though Han hadn't heard any evidence of her presence. It had passed through his mind that Chewie had lied about her, but he couldn't think of any reason why the Wookiee would lie to him about that. To offer him a bit of hope when he was doomed, maybe?

He blinked into the disoriented blurs in front of his eyes, realizing that the pitch blackness was being replaced by swirling bits of light against a black background, like he had his eyes closed in front of a bright light.

"I think my eyes are gettin' better," he muttered. "Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur."

"There's nothing to see," said Luke. "I used to live here, you know."

Han turned his head towards Luke's voice. "You're gonna die here, ya know. Convenient."

_Die..._why wasn't it sinking in that he was about to die? Because Chewie had repeated over and over that Luke was going to rescue them? That didn't seem likely, since Luke had now gotten himself captured as well. Maybe it was just that he had nearly died so many times that he was tired of it by now.

"Just stay close to Lando and Zora," Luke said calmly.

_Lando_ was here too?? Han's urge to vomit started to return. Lando should probably consider himself lucky that Han was blind and his hands were tied - otherwise Han would be throwing the gambler to the ground. Was Luke purposely gathering up Han's ex-girlfriends and ex-friends just to drive Han crazy or something??

"I've got everything taken care of," Luke continued.

"Oh..._great_," Han mumbled, hoping that Luke would catch the sarcasm in his voice. He wondered who he dreaded talking to more - Lando, who was the whole reason why they were in this mess in the first place, or Zora, who probably now hated his guts. Maybe Lando was only involved so he could betray them again...but then, maybe Zora was only here so she could try to tear Han away from Leia.

"Han?" a feminine voice said in a whisper so soft that Han wondered if he had imagined it. "Han, don't say anything, just nod if you can hear me."

Han felt like all of his muscles had just torn apart, but he gave a tiny nod.

"Han," the voice continued, "it's me, Zora Drell. Do you...well, do you remember me?"

He remembered her - oh boy, did he _ever_ remember her. He remembered how she practically jumped on him that first night, how her enthusiasm bordered on the maniacal. He remembered the looks of disapproval Leia had given the two of them, thought she claimed only that lovemaking was distracting both of them from their Rebellion duties.

"Han?" the voice continued. "Do you remember me?"

Han nodded against his will.

"Han, listen carefully," the voice continued hastily. "Lando and I are disguised as Jabba's guards. We're not going to let you get eaten."

There were a whole lot of swear words Han wanted to use right now, but he restrained himself due to the fact that on the off-chance that Zora was telling the truth, it would blow her cover.

"Lando's on our side now, Han," the voice whispered.

_Yeah right_, Han thought. He waited for Zora to elaborate on that, but nothing else came. Apparently everyone expected Han to be perfectly all right with that little betrayal back on Bespin. Maybe they thought the carbon freezing would do a bit of brain damage to his memory and make him forget about the events leading up to it.

Unfortunately for everyone, himself included, he remembered it all too well. He would probably _like_ to let everything go and just be friends with Lando again, but he had done too much for that to happen. For Lando's own sake, he had better take off before Han got his sight back...if he lived long enough to get his sight back. Maybe the last thing he would ever see was Leia's devastated face watching him sink down into the freezer.

There were no more voices for a while, leaving Han with nothing but the barge's motor to listen to...as well as his growling stomach, which made him suddenly realize he was hungry, having not eaten in what must have been a really long time. Jabba probably wouldn't be gracious enough to provide a last meal, but then again, he wasn't sure if he could digest food, since he was still feeling a bit nauseous from the hibernation sickness.

How long had he been hibernating, anyway? Weeks? Months? Years? Would he ever know? Leia and Luke's voices still sounded the same, which meant that they _probably_ hadn't aged much...right?

The vibration ceased, abruptly yanking Han out of his musings and back into the real world, which was still hidden by his blindness. His heart suddenly felt like it wanted to run out of his chest and bury itself in the sands.

It was time.


	6. Chapter 6

"Mark of a Rebel"

By EsmeAmelia

AN: Hi! Well...no, I haven't forgotten about this story - I've just been so busy with my other ones lately.

Chapter 6

The blurs in front of Han's eyes were slowly beginning to resemble actual shapes, but that did nothing to orient him. He wasn't sure what had happened - only that Luke had somehow managed to free himself, which had started some sort of battle. He heard the humming of Luke's lightsaber...how the hell did he get that? For that matter, how the hell did Han get this long, thin pole-thing he was holding? Supposedly he had used that thing to knock Boba Fett over...why couldn't he have gotten his sight back before doing that?

"Han! Chewie!"

Lando's voice, pronouncing Han's name wrong (as always), but sounding in distress. The cries seemed to be coming from under the barge, assuming that Han's ability to locate sounds hadn't been damaged.

"Lando!" Han shouted. "Chewie, where is he?"

He fell off the barge! Chewie growled in a worried voice.

Han gulped, gripping the pole (or whatever it was) that he held. "Chewie, lower me down," he ordered.

What?? Chewie exclaimed. Are you crazy??

"Yeah, probably, but Lando's down there," Han said rapidly. Whatever Lando did, he didn't really deserve to be digested for a thousand years. "Just do it!"

Han felt Chewie's hairy arms wrapping around his legs and lifting him off the ground, pressing rather roughly on his bones. "Careful, pal," he mumbled as the blood rushed to his head from the Wookiee lowering him over the edge of the barge.

There was a large dark blur against the blurry light background of Han's vision. Was that Lando? He hoped it was, since he was lowering the end of his pole towards it.

"Han!" the blur called, still pronouncing his name wrong. If they lived through this, Han would have to talk to Lando about that little habit of his.

"Lando, quick, grab this!" Han shouted.

"Little lower, little lower," shouted Lando's voice.

Han shuffled the burning hot pole through his hands. "Can ya get it now?" he shouted, squinting from the suns' rays that further disoriented his vision.

"No!" Lando cried.

Sweat was trickling down Han's upside-down face, stinging his eyes. "Chewie, lower!" he shouted.

I can't! Chewie shouted back.

"Great," Han grunted as he tried easing the pole down further, the hot metal feeling like it was scorching his hands.

A sudden jolt seemed to shake the entire barge, sending Han swinging back and forth. For a second he thought Chewie had let go of him, but he still felt the Wookiee's strong arms gripping his legs...no, gripping his feet. The edge of the barge was digging into Han's boots, scraping his skin.

"LOWER IT!" Lando screamed.

"I'm TRYIN'!" shouted Han, not sure if he was still directly above Lando. He stretched his body until he felt like he was being torn apart, attempting to lower the pole further, though it was already in danger of slipping out of his sweaty hands.

The gravity of his world shifted once more, and suddenly everything happened at once. Chewie's roars mixed with the sound of a woman shouting, "Han! Watch out!" which in turned mixed with Lando's screams. The pole jiggled in his hands before his body seemed to be falling toward it. Before he was even aware of any pain, he found _himself_ screaming as the sharp end of the pole dug into his chin.

"AAAAAAH!!! IT'S GOT ME!!" Lando's voice cried.

Han's warm blood trickled into his mouth, giving him the horrible taste of liquid metal. His chin throbbed in pain, asserting itself in Han's mind despite his desperate attempts to ignore it. Though his eyes still weren't right, the small thin blur wrapping itself around the larger blur was enough to tell him what was happening.

"Chewie, get me a blaster," Han said without thinking.

How?? Chewie screamed.

"Chewie, here!" Zora's voice called.

Han guessed that Zora must have tossed the Wookiee a blaster or something else that could be fired. "Chewie, give me the gun!" he shouted, fighting gravity with all his will in order to stretch his arm up past his waist.

How Chewie managed to hand him a blaster without letting go of his feet, Han had no idea, but now wasn't the time to ponder that. The blaster felt like it wanted to slide out of his sweaty hands, but he squeezed it tighter, until the metal felt like it was threatening to break his fingers.

"Hold still, Lando!" he called down to the blurs in the sand.

"No way, I thought you were blind!!!" the Lando blur screamed.

"It's all right - I can see a lot better!" Han yelled back. This was true - after all, seeing blurs was a lot better than seeing nothing.

"Little higher, little higher!" Lando's panicked voice instructed.

After following Lando's directions, Han fired, and judging by the Sarlacc's screechy cry, he had hit his mark. Suddenly it seemed like the pole was pulling him towards the pit - it took him a moment or two to realize that Lando had finally grabbed it.

"Up Chewie, UP!" Han shouted desperately.

"Chewie, come on, I'll help you!" Zora's voice shouted.

Before he could think about Zora's presence, Han felt himself being yanked up by his feet. He squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating on not letting the pole fall, not opening them until he felt solid floor against his entire body, and then closing them after a second, refusing to let Zora's face materialize in front of him even when he felt her hands on his face.

"Han," she whispered, "what happened to your chin?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Mark of a Rebel"

By EsmeAmelia

AN: Sorry I keep taking so long updating this story! I seem to keep forgetting about it.

Chapter 7

Han lay flat on his back, feeling the barge vibrating under him, refusing to open his eyes and look up at all the faces hovering over him. Hearing their breath and voices was unbearable enough - maybe if they thought he had passed out they would leave him alone. His chin now burned as if someone was prying under his skin with a knife.

[Cub, are you all right? Chewie growled.

Han wouldn't answer - blowing his feigned unconsciousness in front of Chewie would mean blowing it in front of everyone. His arms were throbbing as if his muscles had been torn - it probably hadn't been a good idea to pull Lando up by a pole after he hadn't used his arms in a while, but what were his options? Warm liquid oozed down his face, trickling towards his neck.

"Han! Han!"

_That_ voice suddenly and completely made Han give up pretending. He popped his eyes open to a large pinkish blur hovering over him with a long line of brown draping from the top of its head. The color of the blur made Han shudder...his fear of what Jabba could do to Leia had come true.

"Leia..." he croaked.

Leia placed her hand on Han's sweat-drenched forehead. "Han, are you all right?"

"Maybe..." Han murmured, closing his eyes again, bringing his focus back to his throbbing chin. By now he was probably bleeding down his neck, possibly staining the top of his shirt. Perhaps it was a good thing that he couldn't see himself right now.

He felt Leia's lips caressing his forehead, her warm kiss granting him enough strength to open his eyes once more, barely able to see the pink blur against the blinding sunlight. He vaguely wondered if the twin suns would be strong enough to put out his eyes permanently.

"Han, it's all right now," she said. "Jabba's dead."

Jabba was dead...Han suddenly felt as if a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "D-dead?" he slurred. "How?"

Leia's soft fingers brushed Han's cheek, wiping off the sweat. "Well...he had me chained to him...and I used the chain to my advantage."

"Did he do anything to you?" Han's voice shot out, his words so fast that they ran together.

Leia breathed deeply, the brown blur that was her hair waving behind her. "Put me on display next to his disgusting body, but nothing more than that." She paused, what little Han could see of her face flinching. "I probably smell like him, don't I?"

"Yes, but it's no worse than the rest of us," Zora's voice suddenly piped in. "With how much sweating we're all doing, we all stink. I'm telling you Luke, how did you ever stand _living_ on this sand heap?"

"Reluctantly," answered Luke.

"Well I think you just killed us," replied Zora. "Jabba didn't get us, but this heat will."

Leia ignored them both, instead brushing her finger over Han's fresh cut. "Han...this is bleeding really badly."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Han croaked.

"I think we've got bacta on the Falcon...well, I _hope_ we do."

"You _hope?"_ Han grumbled.

"Well excuse me if rescuing you took top priority over keeping your ship's medicine supply stocked," Leia snapped, her voice raised to that volume she used when annoyed with him.

It felt good to hear her angry voice again.

Zora was snickering - Han could just imagine the smirk that must be on her face. "You two really are the perfect match, aren't you?"

Han sneered in the direction from which her voice was coming. "Well if you've got a problem with that, tough."

The spy's laughter abruptly grew into a loud chortle, so intense she sounded like she no longer needed to breathe. "Han...honestly...you really think after three years I haven't gotten over _that?"_ Her high laugh delivered small bounces, as if she were about to get hiccups. "You think I put myself in this death trap just to steal you away from your girlfriend?"

Leia's voice began laughing along with her as if they were exchanging private jokes. "Han ... _I_ asked her to help us. She's one of the best spies in the Alliance - her abilities came in real handy."

Han's face rapidly grew even hotter than it was before. He suddenly found himself hoping he had a sunburn that would conceal the extra redness that must be in his face. "Yeah...well why did she agree?"

Zora's laughter finally cease. After a long inhale, she said in a broken voice, "To help rescue a friend."


	8. Chapter 8

"Mark of a Rebel"

By EsmeAmelia

AN: Wow, I didn't expect to get another chapter up so fast. Well, even though no one reviewed the last chapter, here's some more of the story.

Chapter 8

The Millennium Falcon had never seemed so much like home. Once Han felt his feet touch the ramp it seemed that he wasn't quite as lightheaded as before. He kept his grip on Leia's hand, letting her lead him into his beloved ship that was still a mess of blurs to his eyes.

Still, by the time they were up the ramp, Han found himself leaning on her small body, his head beginning to nod, his eyes blinking slowly as if in a trance. His feet felt detached from him, his semiconscious mind forgetting that he was walking in its quest for sleep.

"Han?" Leia grunted, her voice slightly muffled.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want me to see if I can find some bacta?"

"Do whatever you want," Han mumbled, his feet beginning to drag. "Just lead me to my bunk first so I can take a good long nap."

- - - - - - - - - - -

Han slept soundly for many hours, changed into a fresh white shirt and clean underwear, bundled up in his blankets despite the heat he had just suffered through. His mind swirled through periods of complete blackness interrupted by odd dreams - dreams of Zora teaming up with Vader to freeze him again, dreams of Leia protecting him from Jabba, dreams of Lando ripping his chin off.

Murmurs in the outside world woke him only slightly...he could have passively allowed sleep to take him back if whatever remained of his conscious mind hadn't recognized one of the voices, which pulled the rest of his mind back into the waking world without opening his eyes.

"He's worn out," Leia's voice whispered. He felt her slightly calloused fingers caressing his ear, tingling his nerves.

"So when are you going to tell him that we couldn't find any bacta?" Zora's voice whispered back.

Leia inhaled loudly. "He'll find out soon enough." Her thumb ran over his chin, almost stimulating his lips to smile. "I don't know how to tell him that he'll have a scar..."

"If you ask me, I think he should consider himself lucky to get out of this with only a scar," Zora stated.

_Scar?_ Han's eyelids squeezed together, a grunt escaping his closed mouth, after which he felt Leia's hand stroking his cheek. Part of him wanted to jolt his eyes open and demand to see a mirror, but the rest of him felt far too exhausted to do so.

"He's probably dreaming about Bespin, poor guy," said Zora through an exhale. Han heard her footsteps beginning to pace. "I still can't believe what Lando did. If he hadn't ended up helping us..."

"Which reminds me," said Leia, abruptly removing her hand from Han's skin, "in all this time I'm still not sure exactly why _you_ ended up helping us. You could have refused my invitation in favor of continuing to help the Rebellion." She rested her palm on Han's cheek. "Han seemed convinced it was so you could steal him away from me."

Zora groaned. "Not you too. Haven't you ever had a two-week affair?"

"No, and I don't intend to."

"Well it doesn't seal up a relationship for eternity, I can tell you that," Zora said with a sniff. She breathed in a heave of air. "He was my first, you know."

"I know," said Leia, now rubbing Han's eyebrows, making it difficult for him to keep his eyes closed.

'Well...first there was the thrill of actually _doing it_," Zora continued, "but once that wore off...I dunno how to explain it...but it didn't feel _right_ with him. Something was missing...but I didn't know what it was at the time."

"Did you ever find out?" Leia asked in a hushed voice, her fingertip pressing uncomfortably into Han's forehead.

A whispering snicker sounded from Zora. "Yes...I haven't told anyone...but I'm engaged."

Leia's voice gave a sudden happy gasp, removing her hand from Han's skin. "Well...congratulations! What's his name?"

"_Her _name," Zora quickly interjected. "_Her_ name is Seril. I met her during one of my spying missions. She's gorgeous, funny, smart..." Her voice dissolved into a murmur before rising into a sigh. "I guess you could say your boyfriend helped me discover what I was. He helped me realize that with a man, there's something _not there_ for me." She giggled slightly. "Plus, if it hadn't been for him and me fooling around, you might not have been so determined to separate us, and then I would have never met Seril. I owe him one for that."

"I'd say you already paid him one," said Leia.

Han opened his eyes in the slightest possible way, only able to catch a glimpse of Zora's shoulder-length black hair and Leia's long brown hair behind his eyelashes.

"I think you and he are a perfect couple," she was saying. "I mean, leaving your duties as a Rebellion commander to rescue him...it's not like you're just a little spy like me - you're one of the _big_ people. Leaving that behind means you must truly love him." She ran her arm down Leia's shoulder. "You two are made for each other."

"Thank you," said Leia. "I hope I can meet Seril sometime - I'm sure you and she make a perfect couple too."

Though his vision was reduced to a line of shapes, Han was sure he saw Zora smiling. "Yes...I think we do." Her hands swung from her wrists, slapping her legs. "So...you understand now that there's no jealousy?"

"Yes," Leia said, complete certainty in her voice.

Han closed his eyes once more, sinking his head into the pillow, his lips turning a bit upward, letting sleep overtake him again. His center of consciousness was floating inside his head when he felt Leia's kiss planted on her cheek and heard her whisper in his ear.

"Sweet dreams, Han. Feel better soon."

And then he was asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

"Mark of a Rebel"

By EsmeAmelia

AN: Thanks to those who reviewed! Well, I didn't expect to take so long to finish this fic, but it's FINALLY done.

Chapter 9

Han continued to stare in the mirror, biting his lower lip, pulling the skin up with his teeth to get a good look at that scar, trying to convince himself that he needed that cosmetic surgery. With all the work he'd been up to taking down the second Death Star's shield, he hadn't gotten much time to think about it, but now that he'd finally gotten a moment to himself, he couldn't believe he'd allowed himself to walk around with it even for this long. It was a distraction from his every other facial feature - it had to go.

[Han, aren't you coming to the party?

Han barely took notice of his copilot's face joining him in the mirror. "Sure Chewie...in just a bit..."

[Worried about that scar? Chewie roared.

Han sighed through his nose, wishing Chewie were slightly less perceptive. "I'm gettin' rid of it, Chewie. Don't try talkin' me outta it."

The Wookiee patted his cub's shoulder. [I'm not. I'm just telling you there's a party going on.

Han's eyes were still focused on his scar's reflection, but he found enough presence of mind to nod at his copilot. "Okay Chewie, I'll be there in a minute."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Night had fallen on Endor, giving the moon a glassy, fairytale-like atmosphere. Han had only taken a few steps off the Falcon's ramp when he heard the explosion of fireworks and saw their big bursts of light decorating the sky. The distant music of flutes and drums swirled through the air, telling Han which way the party was.

The clearing where the Falcon had landed was now completely transformed from a stark wilderness to a cheery dance floor. A bonfire crackled in the center, around which several Ewoks were dancing and chanting. Many other bonfires could be seen lighting up the landscape in the distance. While most of the surviving Rebel soldiers were standing and chatting in the background, some had joined the Ewoks in their dance, abandoning all thoughts of embarrassment. Some of the Ewoks turned out to be surprisingly talent musicians, providing musical background with their flutes, drums, and occasionally the stormtrooper's helmets they had won during the battle.

"Han!"

Han had barely taken notice of Lando's presence when the gambler wrapped him up in a hug, pressing against his bones as if trying to crunch them. "Told ya I'd bring her back safely, didn't I pirate?"

"Yeah, but you also promised _not a scratch._"

Lando pulled his head back. "Not a scratch? You mean like..." He ran his finger across Han's chin. "..._this_ one? I'd say her damage is less noticeable than yours."

Han groaned. "And that's what I get for savin' your butt?"

Lando playfully slapped his friend on the back. "Yup, you got that scar saving my butt."

Before Han could answer, he heard another familiar voice calling his name - a voice that, in spite of all it had been through, still sounded like a boy to Han's ears.

"Kid!" Han exclaimed at the sight of Luke running up to him. Once the younger man caught up with the older, they embraced like a pair of brothers. Brothers...well if his relationship with Leia continued to its logical conclusion...then he and Luke would indeed be brothers. He was still having trouble getting used to the idea that the kid and the princess were related, though.

"We did it, Han," Luke murmured. "We did it."

"So just what all happened up there?" Han asked.

Luke pulled out of the embrace, his mouth twisted in an awkward expression. "Han...how much did Leia tell you...about me and her?"

Han's mouth twisted too, an almost mirror image of Luke's. "Well...she told me you guys were siblings."

Luke's mouth was hanging open, his eyes lowering. "There's more than that."

"What?"

Luke was breathing loudly. "Han...Leia and I were separated and hidden away at birth...to hide us from our father."

The music seemed to be fading away in Han's ears. "Your father?"

Luke nodded, his head looking at the ground. "Our father...you've met him. On...on...on Bespin."

Now the music vanished completely, replaced by a loud buzzing. Air seemed to be having difficulty finding his lungs, draining him of energy, drying his eyes, inhibiting his mouth from forming words.

"You mean...it's...it's..."

"Vader," Luke finished.

Han couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't even think of what Luke said, could only stare open-mouthed at the younger man until he felt his left hand on his shoulder.

"Han...listen to me...I know you'll have trouble believing this...but he saved us."

He told Han about just what happened in the second Death Star in a rapid, flowing voice, barely giving Han time to comprehend what he was saying, yet alone comment on it. His hand unconsciously went to his chin when Luke told about how he removed Vader's mask, revealing his damaged, deformed face. He tried to picture such a face, so scarred that it barely looked human, and yet was unmistakably so...but he couldn't. Then he realized that he had never before considered the possibility that there might be a face under that mask.

"Han," Luke was saying, "I understand if you don't believe me, but..."

"I believe ya, kid," Han interrupted. "I believe ya." He believed, but he couldn't fathom what to do about this new information.

"Han! Luke!"

Zora running up to the two men and waving brought a very thankful distraction. Her short black hair bounced on her neck, that smile that once put Han in the mood for romantic pleasures lighting up her face.

"Han, come on, I've got someone for you to meet," she said breathlessly.

"Who? Your girlfriend?" Han blurted out, momentarily forgetting that he'd been "sleeping" when Zora disclosed her lesbianism.

"Han?!?!?!" Luke exclaimed.

Zora's thick lips curled. "It's all right Luke - he's right, actually." She raised a brow at Han. "You were supposed to be asleep."

Han shrugged. "I was...for most of the day. Just happened to wake up when you two were talkin' about that."

"Well...nevermind about that," Zora said, ignoring the confused look on Luke's face. "Come meet her."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Leia was standing next to one of the trees, wearing that dress Han had seen her in when he got captured by the Ewoks, chatting with a tall woman with blonde hair pulled up into a neat bun.

"Han!" Leia exclaimed upon noticing the group approaching them. Almost immediately she threw her arms around him, squeezing him in a tight embrace. Han found his eyes shutting, absorbing her touch.

"You were right, they're one hot couple," a high voice said.

"Aren't they, Seril?" said Zora's voice. "Just like us."

Han opened his eyes, seeing that the two women each had an arm around the other. "Han, Luke," Zora said, pointing her free arm at the blonde woman, "my fiancee, Seril."

"Pleased to meet you," Seril said. "Zora's told me a lot about you." She raised a brow at Han. "Especially about _you_."

"Now now baby, don't be jealous," Zora cooed, rubbing her partner's cheek.

"Fiancee? 'Baby?' " Luke said, his eyes wide, making no effort to disguise his shock.

"Come on Luke, haven't you ever seen a lesbian couple before?" Zora chided.

Luke's face reddened. "I'm sorry, I just thought that since you and Han..."

Zora sniffed through one nostril. "That's one reason why Han and me didn't work out."

The group laughed, giving Luke the ability to relax.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

After Zora took Seril's hand and led her away to somewhere more private, Leia turned her attention back to Han, smiling at him. The firelight reflected in her brown eyes, giving them an extra radiance. A few moments past with her giving him her magnificent smile, but then it began to fade, melting into an open-mouthed look of concern.

"Han...did Luke tell you about our father?"

Han sighed. "Yup." Seeing Leia's eyes widen at his word, he hastily grabbed her shoulders, staring directly in her eyes. "Leia, listen, I don't give a damn who your parents are. You didn't choose 'em."

Leia wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his chest. "Luke says he sacrificed himself to save us all...but I don't know...if that's enough..."

Han returned her embrace, patting her back, feebly attempting to stop Darth Vader's face from swirling into his mind, wondering how he would handle it if he found out Vader was _his _father, yet finding a block in his imagination.

"If you need me...I'll help you get through this..." he murmured.

Leia pulled out of the embrace, looking up at Han for a few moments before rubbing his chin. "You're thinking of getting rid of this, aren't you?"

Han's finger also went to his chin, touching Leia's finger. "Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

Leia shrugged, removing her hand from his skin. "I like it, personally. You got it saving Lando's life - even after he betrayed you. It's a mark of closure - closure with both Lando and Zora." She ran her finger over his scar again. "It gives your face an extra...significance."

Han sniffed. "Are you sayin' it didn't have significance before?"

Leia snickered. "No, just that it has _more_ significance now." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her soft, sensual lips against his chin. Han reflexively closed his eyes, absorbing the sensation, thinking about what she said. Maybe it made a _little _sense...all right, a _lot_ of sense, but did that mean he had to listen to it?

He opened his eyes, seeing Leia's smiling face glowing in the firelight. The Ewoks' music seemed to be specifically meant as an ambiance for her face.

"It took me a little while to get used to it to," she said, "but now I think it looks good. I think you'll come to that conclusion too."

Han pulled her close to him, resting his cheek on her head, his skin sliding on her hair. Minutes seemed to pass with him in a trance, not exactly contemplating what to do with his scar, but only letting her words settle in his head.

"All right," he said, as surprised to hear his voice saying those words as Leia was, "I'm keepin' it."

THE END


End file.
